Metro station hit during Brussels attacks reopens

Brussels: The Maelbeek metro station where 16 people, including an Indian techie, were killed by an Islamic State suicide bomber last month re-opened yesterday with Belgians describing it as a symbol of "our determination to fight terrorism."

A bomb was detonated on board a train pulling out of Maelbeek station, close to the European institutions, in the morning rush hour on March 22. The attack followed suicide bombs at Brussels airport which also killed 16 people.

"We will overcome this too. You get emotional when you come here. You feel it inside. Our government will overcome terrorism," Paul Nemitz, Director, Fundamental Rights and Union Citizeship, European Comission, said at the station.

He said his office was just 300 metres from the station.

"We will overcome this (terrorism). Life goes on. There is a little fear. We are worried over security but the reopening of the metro station just over a month after the attacks is a symbol of the people's resilience," Tem, a daily metro commuter, told media at the Maelbeek metro station.

Brussels Metro spokeswoman An Van Hamme was quoted by the media as saying that there was no structural damage but "there were a few works that had to be done".

Families of the victims were allowed special access to the station on Saturday to mourn the victims, before the official reopening to commuters.

Commuters can also leave messages on a tribute wall in the main station entrance. A commemorative art work will eventually replace the tribute wall.

The Brussels public transport authority (Stib) said that military and police officers would be present to "ensure the security of the entire network".

Security remains high across the underground network, which was hit during the March 22 peak morning travel period.

The blast came after suicide bombers had earlier struck Brussels' Zaventem airport departure lounge in the attacks claimed by Islamic State.

28-year-old Indian techie Raghavendran Ganeshan, who went missing after the terror strikes, died in the attack on the metro station. An Infosys employee from Bengaluru, Ganeshan was in a metro train when the metro station was rocked by the explosion.